Method oe operating recipbocatisfg saws



T. J. ALEXANDER. METHOD 01E OPERATING REGIPBOGATING SAWS; No. 23,004.Patented-Feb. 22, 18591 M z/ ww ans a THOMAS J. ALEXANDER, OF\VEST'ERVILLE, OHIO.

METHOD OF OPERATING RECIPROCATLNG SAWS.

To all whom (it may concern:

Be it known that I, THOMAS J. i ,EXANDER, of \Vesterville, in the countyof Franklin and State of Ohio, have invented a certain new and usefulImprovement in Handsawing Arrangements, of which the following is afull, clear, and exact description, reference being had to theaccompanying drawing, which forms part of this specification, and inwhich-- Figure 1 represents a view in perspective of a hand sawingapparatus constructed according to my improvement; and Fig. 2 atop viewor plan of a portion of the rear end of the apparatus and showing theoperating levers in intermediate position of their full stroke; and Fig,3 a diagram, in further illustration, as hereinafter specified.

My improvement has reference to that description of hand-sawingarrangements in which the saw has its reciprocating motion given it byor through the intervention of levers operated by hand. Some of thesearrangements have had but a single lever pivoted at or about its centerand so shaped as to form an upper horizontal and lower vertical arm, thelatter driving the saw by means of a connecting bar, and the upper armserving for the hand of the operator to vibrate the lever to work thesaw. Others,

of these arrangements, have employed a horizontal rocking beam to beworked by the hands, at either end, by the operator standing on arocking platform for the purpose, to give motion to the saw by a branchfrom the beam jointed to a rod that establishes the connection with thesaw. Others, again, have used a rotary motion, and others a side actionor swing, to produce the requisite movement of the saw; and some of thebefore mentioned arrangements have employed a pole for carrying thedriving devices, pivoted to a standard in the rear and arranged toextend in front to be spiked on to and hold the stuff being sawed.

I am thus particular in referring to certain previous hand sawingarrangements as, in the following description of working parts and otherportions here shown connected with my improvement, I wish it to bedistinctly understood that I am not claiming as my invention parts andprinciples or actions which are old or common.

The previous arrangements, I have referred to, are objectionable notonly (as regards many of them) on account of their complexity, but asinvolving an injurious stooping or unnatural position and awkwardworking of the body, or as presenting but poor facility for working inan effective manner with both hands or for fully exerting muscular forcewithout great fatigue; and it is to obviate some or all of these defectsthat is the object of my present improvement.

Description. (See Figs. 1 and 2.)In the accompanying drawing, the saw A,which is shown arranged to cut vertically and which if preferred may besharpened to cut during both of its strokes, is fastened in the rear toa connecting bar that is jointed at its back end to the lower portion ofa vertical beam or lever (O). This beam (C) is hung to vibrate freely onan intermediate horizontal fulcrum or shaft (a) that crosses the hinderportion of a pole (D) jointed or otherwise suitably fastened to a backstandard (E) and extended in front to clamp the log or stuff being sawedby (say) driving a spike (5) through the front end ofthe pole into thelog. The rocking beam (C), which is shown arranged on the one side ofthe pole (D), has its upper arm provided with a handle On the other sideof the pole (D), or at a suitable side distance from the rocking beam(C), is a single upper vertical arm or rocking lever (F), also providedwith a handle (0), and which lever may have its fulcrum or hearing onthe cross shaft (64) of the pole, but, whether the rocking beam C) andlever (F) thus work on one shaft, or have separate shafts, it isnecessary that the hand folding portions of both levers be made tovibrate in reverse directions to each other. Said levers may have theirmotions back and forth restricted by any suitable stops (w, The heightof the hand holding portions of the two levers should be such as to makesaid levers easy of operation back and forth by a person when standingerect. The beam (O) and lever (F), though independent of each other, Icouple together by any suitable gear or device that, in the action ofthe one vertical or upper arm of the lever or beam forward, shall causethe pther upper arm or lever to work backward, and vice versa; eitherone lever serving to operate the other lever in a reverse direction toit. Thus, the beam (C) and lever (F) may be provided with curved racksor bevel gears (d, (Z) arranged to mesh on opposite sides into ahorizontal pinion (e) havii'ig its spindle on or in the pole (D). Thediagram (Fig. 3) shows substantially the same arrangement, but here theintermediate pinion is dispensed with by arranging the cross shafts (a,a) of the levers (C, F) one in advance of the other and causing thecurved racks or toothed segments of said levers to mesh with each otherdirect, to produce the same character of reverse action. Otherequivalents for the same purpose might be mentioned, but to do so isunnecessary here.

0pemti0n.-Supposing the operator to stand in the rear, he clutchestheone with his right hand and the other with his left the upper arms orlevers, or handles (0, 0) thereof, and urging the one lever forwardsimultaneously draws the other lever back, first striking out with hisone hand or arm and then with the other alternately, to give arepetition of forward and back strokes to the levers. By this movement,the operator reciprocates the saw backward and forward to effect thecut, the connection of the saw with the one lever or beam, and the gearof the levers together to operate in reverse directions, making bothindependent or separately hung levers the drivers of the saw. By thisaction of the two parallel or side levers (C, F), each back pull ofeither of the operators arms exerts a driving force to the sawcorresponding in effect, or thereabout, to the driving forward stroke orthrust simultaneously exerted by his other hand or arm, which makes theconstant and gross effect, of course, equal to the power exerted by botharms, and as either arm.

alternately pulls while the other pushes, in directions approximately ahorizontal motion, an equality of force may if necessary be easilypreserved. Such arrangement or action of the rocking and driving leversadmits of a good, if not the best, application of the muscular force ofthe arms, without racking the body of the operator and within convenientstretch or action of his arms; and, in thus workingthe saw, allinjurious stooping or swaying of the body may be avoided, the chest isexpanded in a healthy manner, and the operator allowed to stand erect asdesigned by the God who made him. In case of the weight of the saw andits connecting rod not being suflicient to secure a proper cut oraction, any superincumbent weight or pressure may be added, or acounterbalance may be applied to diminish weight or pressure of the sawin cutting. In some cases, the saw may be arranged to operate above andthe driving levers be operated from below, after the manner beforedescribed, by the operator standing in a pit or on a lower level for thepurpose.

For cutting up a felled tree into saw logs, and for various other sawingpurposes, this iy improvement will be found very advantageous, and by itmore force can be applied to the saw, and with greater ease, than by theordinary method of hand sawing; while the simplicity and portability ofthe contrivance forms a consideration of no little value to farmers andothers.

What is here claimed, as new and useful, is:

Reciprocating the saw by means of right and left hand rocking levers ordrivers jointed to or otherwise connected with the saw; when said leversare separately hung or pivoted and geared together for reverse action,and so arranged as to admit of being worked by the hands of the operatorsubstantially in the manner specified.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name.

THOS. J. ALEXANDER.

lVitnesses R. R. ARNOLD, I. G. ARNOLD.

